Looks like a big iPhone to us.

• 1GHz Apple A4 processor (custom)
• 0.5″ thick
• 1.5 pounds
• 9.7″ Capacitive touchscreen (1024×768)
• 16-64GB of SSD storage
• 3G available but not in all iPads
• $14.99 for 250MB, $29.99 for unlimited data on AT&T (no contract)
• 3G iPads are unlocked, have GSM micro SIMs
• Accelerometer, Compass
• 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1
• Runs iPhone apps in window or pixel doubling
• Hardware-accelerated OpenGL graphics
• SDK out today
• $499 for 16GB base model, $830 for all maxed out
• Dock with hard keyboard available

There’s a very custom interface that I won’t bother describing — we’ll put video here as soon as Apple puts it up. Needless to say it’s very good looking. Prices start at $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. Adding 3G costs $130.

We’re seeing lots of great-looking apps from the live coverage of the event, including 3D games, a really sweet-looking calendar, a nice email app, and a New York Times app that looks really stunning.

Concerns, though:

• No camera so no video chat
• Limited space — 64GB may be a lot for an iPod, but when you’ve got movies and such, it’ll disappear real fast
• Multitasking?
• No SD or multi-card reader means that’s all the storage you get
• It’s obviously no more customizable than the iPhone
• iPod dock connection only means no easy connection of USB devices

Our minds all just got blown by the $499 starting price, though. I was thinking way more for sure. Nice move, Apple.

Update: Apple’s video and our first hands-on.

When Sony launched the VAIO P, the company kept insisting it wasn’t a netbook. Perhaps this is why: Sony has a netbook coming next month.

An honest netbook, too, with an Atom CPU, Windows XP, and a maxed-out 160GB hard drive. Curiously, Sony appears to have been able to sidestep the “no screen resolution over 1024×600 when using an N-series Atom CPU” rule by offering a nice 1366×768 widescreen display.

And while the $500 price tag may appear a bit high compared to your standard netbook, I’d contend that the higher resolution screen, the island keyboard, and the nice-looking trackpad may be worth it for more than a few people. Though that tiny right shift key is going to rub some people the wrong way.

The Sony VAIO W Series will be available in three colors starting next month for around $500.

Full press release:

Sony DEBUTS HOT NEW Mini Notebook IN COOL NEW COLORS

VAIO W Series Ideal for Casual Computing and Staying Connected

SAN DIEGO, July 7, 2009 – Sony today took the wraps off its chic new line of mini notebooks- the VAIO® W Series.

Featuring an ultra-portable design, the W Series is perfect for using as a secondary PC, in any room of the house, for surfing the web, checking e-mail, and social networking.

The W model comes in three vibrant colors- berry pink, sugar white and cocoa brown. A more subtle shade of the exterior hue finishes the inside of the PC while the touchpad is lined with a splash of brightness.

“The W Series lets you quickly look something up online whether searching for a recipe in the kitchen or relaxing on your recliner- there’s no need to trudge upstairs to your office,” said Mike Abary, senior vice president of the VAIO business group at Sony. “And it’s sturdy enough for the kids to use, making it perfect for every member of the family.”

The W Series incorporates a high-resolution, 1366 x 768, LED backlit 10.1-inch (measured diagonally) ultra-wide display, making it easy to view two full web pages- no side-to-side scrolling necessary.

The model features an isolated keyboard with springy and responsive keys making it comfortable and easy to use. Its carefully designed touchpad and mouse keys make the PC functional and mouse movements easy to control.

The W Series unit is ENERGY STAR® 5.0 compliant, EPEAT Gold registered and incorporates eco-conscious features such as a mercury-free LED backlit LCD. Its corrugated cardboard packaging is comprised of 95 percent recycled content. Sony will also help recycle your old PC (www.sony.com/green; recycling fees may apply).

The model comes with VAIO Media plus Multimedia Streaming software, a media sharing application that lets you wirelessly stream content across DLNA®-enabled devices throughout your home network. Stream video, music and pictures from your W Series to your compatible primary PC or PLAYSTATION®3 and vice-versa and enjoy your content anywhere in the home including on your big-screen TV.

Easily transfer data, such as photos from your digital camera or music from an MP3 player, to and from the PC with the unit’s two convenient USB ports. Incorporated Bluetooth® technology enables peripherals such as a wireless mouse to be utilized without tying up the unit’s ports.

A built-in webcam and microphone let you video chat with family, friends and colleagues. A third-party internet service provider is required.

A roomy 160GB hard drive has been included providing ample storage for all your photos, files and videos. It comes pre-installed with Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition operating system.

The VAIO W Series mini notebook will retail for about $500. It is available for pre-orders today online at www.sonystyle.com/pr/w. It will also be sold at Sony Style® stores and at other major retailers around the country starting next month.

via Gizmodo

“I like the Natal,” he says. “That’s cool. It’s an interesting device, so I’m truly impressed by Xbox. It’s my personal favourite console… I think Microsoft is on a roll right now. They’re doing really well. If I was Sony, I would have a headache, to be honest.”

And then he sort of changes his mind.

“Sony has a lot of good games this year. If you go to their booth, there’s a very consistent, high quality product line-up and that will help them. I do think that we’ll see developers inside the organisation getting to understand the PS3 better and I think that we’re getting more power out of PS3 right now… I think that we’ve maxed out the 360 but we haven’t maxed out the PS3.”

via OXM UK

It’s time to put two maxed-out gaming PCs to the test — the best Alienware versus the best Acer. Here’s a raw specs comparison for a top-of-the-range Alienware ALX X-58 and Predator Crusader II. Which one will cut it as the ultimate gaming PC?

	Alienware ALX X-58	Predator Conquerer II
Processor:	Overclocked Intel® Core™ i7 Extreme 3.86GHz 8MB Cache	Intel Core i7-965 3.2GHz 8MB Cache
Graphics:	Dual 1792MB NIVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 with Optional Ageia PhysX Physics Processing Unit	2* Nvidia® GeForce® 2* GTX 285 + Nvidia® nForce® 780i SLI (3 way SLI) 2* 896MB VRAM
Audio:	7.1-channel audio + Sound Blaster X-Fi High Definition Surround Sound Audio	High Definition (7.1) channel audio support + Dolby Home Theatre audio enhancement + Creative EAX 4.0 support
Memory:	12GB Triple Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz	12GB DDR2 1066MHz SDRAM
Storage:	2x256GB SSD + 1.0 TB SATA 3Gb/s 7200 RPM	2* 1TB SATA Hard Disk Drives & 1* 150GB WD Raptor® Drives
Optical drives:	4x Dual Layer Blu-ray Burner	BD Burner + SuperMulti burner
Other connections:	8xUSB 2.0, 2xFireWire, 1xESATA, 2xheadphones, 2xmicrophone, 1xEthernet	9xUSB 2.0, 1xFireWire, S/PDIF, 2xEthernet, 18-in-1 memory card reader, 1xline out, 1xmicrophone
Cooling:	AlienIce™ 3.0 high-performance cooling	Liquid Cooling on the CPU
Other:	Customisable lighting, acoustic dampening, Killer Xeno Pro networking card, Alienware TactX Headset
Guide price:	£5,353.25	£3,999.99